Admiral’s Fall – Sneak Peek Chapter 2

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Admiral’s Fall – Sneak Peek Chapter 2

For those of you who have been waiting with baited breath I bring you… Chapter 2!

Chapter: Featherby in Command

“How long until the next point transfer, Fritters?” Featherby asked looking up from his data slate where he was rapidly filling out yet another report on the debacle that was supposed to have been the Glorious Fleet’s finest hour.
“The CSS Potempkin reports it need more time to repair a bad crack in the hyperdish, Sir. They’re requesting an additional 24 hours to effect the needed repairs now that we’re safely out of range of any New Confederation retribution,” said the Chief of Staff.
“Unacceptable,” Featherby said instantly, “we’re only two jumps away from the nearest com-stat buoy,” the he frowned, “and you know how much I hate it when you use that term, ‘New Confederation’ it gives these Spineward Sectors locals entirely too much legitimacy.”
“Sorry, Sir. You know I only strive for accuracy and since that’s what they call themselves sometimes I slip. I’ll try to do better,” said Fritters.
“They are nothing more than a regional power that’s still coalescing. Now I realize that it may seem like a minor matter but it is exactly from seemingly insignificant things like this that larger problems grow,” the Front Admiral scolded.
“Of course, Sir,” Fritters said blank faced, “however that aside you can’t mean to leave CSS Potempkin behind. If anything happened to her…” Fritters trailed off.
“I think we’re long past the point of no return when it comes to ships lost in action. The task force we’re assigned to has lost ships both before and after I assumed command to say nothing of the fleet as a whole,” said Featherby.
“You managed to save one hundred and twenty six ships from that disaster that has to count for something,” said Fritters.
“If they’re looking to pin it on me then there’s nothing you or I can do my friend,” Featherby said wearily.
“I don’t want to accept that but you’re probably right,” Fritters said bitterly.
“You know I’m right. There was a disaster of unmitigated proportions. An imperial flotilla was defeated and a fleet of one thousand ships routed. A confederation fleet. Do you know the last time a confederation fleet retreated in the face of the enemy?” asked Featherby.
“I would assume not since the last war,” said Fritters.
“Individual ships may have been outnumbered and thus forced to temporarily withdraw but a full fleet? Never,” said the Front Admiral, “which is why it is absolutely imperative we become the first to get to an FTL buoy and transmit a report home.”
Fritters worried his lower lip.
“Are you sure they won’t decide on a kill the messenger situation? I worry that getting to the front of the line isn’t necessarily the best course,” said Fritters.
“If we don’t get the truth out there it will be buried,” said Front Admiral Featherby, “this could be our only cha.”
“At least this way we have the opportunity to shape the narrative. I just worry the Fleet of today isn’t the same as it was when we had a strong admiralty,” Fritters said worriedly.
“We still have allies in the Grand Assembly but regardless there is only so far I can bend in the name of expediency. At a certain point I must be what my life and my training has created in me and let the chips fall where they may,” said the Front Admiral.
“I’m with you Willard. I just hope you’re right,” said Fritter.
“Not more than me my friend,” sighed Featherby.
The two shared a look of mutual understanding.
Then Fritters straightened.
“What do you intend to do with the Potempkin?” he asked finally.
Featherby frowned.
“I agree leaving them isn’t a very viable solution. If anything happened their deaths would be on me. Which wouldn’t me an issue if this were a combat operation but I’m not willing to put good men in harms’ way in the name of politics. I see no solution but to temporarily transfer my flag to the fastest ship in our task force and proceed with this mission. The rest of the force will just have to catch up later,” the Front Admiral said finally.
“What if other survivors of the Glorious Fleet of Liberation are already there or who arrive at the same time we do?” his Chief of Staff asked delicately.
“You’re right. We should prepare an alternate rendezvous,” said the Front Admiral.
“That brings up other potential issues,” said Commodore Fritters with a long face.
“At a certain point I have to show confidence in my officers and captains or how am I any better than admirals like Beecher,” said Front Admiral Featherby.
Two hours later Featherby transferred his flag.

4 comments

dragon723 - May 13, 2018 2:08 pm

Interesting. Seems like the confederation may play more of a role than i thought in the next couple books, since they are getting cameos. Also, i wonder if featherby will end up taking the fall for this entire disaster, seems to be headed that way. The confederation is really fucked up militarily, while also fat and wealthy, so it makes sense the empire is trying to pick off a couple sectors for themselves. The curios thing IMHO is that they haven’t just launched a full-scale invasion of the confederation to crush them militarily, rather than waste time on the gorgon-front, which seems to be mostly low-value rimworlds of little immidiate value or threat to the empire.

I know the confederation populations aren’t exactly all that valuable or productive atm, but give it a couple generations under imperial rule and they can learn to work again. Just a matter of every legal school being an imperial school with mandatory attendance, doesn’t even have to use propaganda, though the empire probably would. That and replace most welfare-programs with a one-way ticket to a colony world with plenty of work. The one wellfare program the should either keep or possibly create would be one designed to help people with various disabilities get back to work, for instance spaldiing was pretty much ready for a pension given his advanced age and various injuries, but instead got turned into a cyborg and kept on going XD This could conceivably be paid back for by mandatory loans, unless the empire feels like footing the bill, .

Your thoughts about what the Empire would try to do are pretty much bang on! At least in some of the areas. But yeah, LOL.

However the Gorgon Front is a little more complicated and a little more of a risk than has been thought up to this point. After all the Empire refuses to admit certain truths and would be the last one to put out ‘bad’ PR.

Well i assumed as much about the gorgon front, and of course the empire seems to be playing a long game with the confederation at the moment, trying to isolate the poorest rimward sectors first.

This has to be obvious to SOMEONE in the confederation though, they can’t all be morons, not even in a demo-crazy as jaded as theirs XD. Whether any such detractor can form a faction capable of pushing the needed reforms is harder to say, but it seems like the confederation has pretty much passed the point of no return politically, militarily and economically (they are still massively huge of course, with tons of power, similar perhaps to the latestage roman republic which remained the most powerfull nation in the known world, yet continously detracted). I can’t see how anyone can possibly gain enough power to reverse current policies and reboot their military, especially not if they have been selling high-level military commisions right and left 🙂

I wouldn’t be surprised if the higher levels of their current “military” is riddled with imperial sympatisers who have bought their positions with imperial support, possibly even fairly competent people, who genuinly believe that they have no choice but to support the empire as the only real protector humanity has against the various enemies beyond the rim. The confederation certainly isn’t capable of standing up to an opponent in its own weight-class, heck they can’t even beat a clobbed together fleet of provincials in 50 year old ships, with a few modern ships sprinkled in, so they might be right to do so, depending on just what they know that we don’t xD

I love the enthusiasm and I’m liking your thoughts. I tried to address some of this in the next book that’s already written and at the editor, Admiral’s Fall, but I probably could have done more.

But yeah the old Confederation is incredibly anti-military and self-absorbed. Even so you’re right that someone should be able to see and view with alarm all the imperial encroachments and try to take some kind of action.

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